I almost fogot!

Wow. I almost forgot about my blog. Not that it matters, no one reads it anyway! *LOL* I should start posting again. I thought I had done rather well. If time allows, I might just do that. What with Facebook and now Twitter, does anyone read blogs any more?

A Little Wine.

I love great wine. Having worked in the wine industry for a number of years, I had a chance to get to know a lot of wines close up and personal. I'm always excited when I find a great "new" wine. I will occasionally put a wine review here as I continue my quest for that great sip. Cheers.

Bollini Pinot Grigio 2006 ($14-$16)
From the dolomite soils of Trentino, Italy, comes this fresh, crisp Pinot Grigio. A lovely wine, light straw in colour, with a fragrant floral bouquet. Delicate fruit flavours of pear and apple, with some fresh citrusy undertones. The acid is balanced perfectly and there is a crisp mineral note on the finish.

Pinot Grigio has a reputation for being light and crisp. I found this one to be the aforementioned, but with enough weight, intensity and structure to be a great food pairing wine.

The lush fruit flavour and flinty quality made it a perfect match for my Chicken Eggplant Parmesan.

I also love the label, the elegant mix of gold and green, with the crisp white varietal lettering, and the twisted grapevine graphic.

Peri Wine Rating- 4 1/2 wineglasses. (out of 5) That's almost perfect!

Remember..."Life is too short to drink bad wine!"

A Death In The Family

My mother-in-law died last week. She was 87 years old. I had known her for 25 of those 87 years.

She was kind and generous, intelligent and philosophical, gutsy and capable. She raised 4 children, worked most of her young adult life as a social worker, and later worked as a librarian at a small local branch library that had outreach opportunities for single moms and immigrant women.

She retired at age 65, three years after I joined the family. She loved being retired. She knit, cooked, read, gardened, travelled. She supported public television, volunteered, composted, and recycled.

She kept family traditions alive, hosted holiday gatherings and dinners, juggling the times to suit all her children's and grand children's hectic schedules. She attended all the grand kid's concerts and recitals enthusiastically, and always managed to give them the perfect gifts for birthday's and Christmas.

She always had a pot of tea brewing, and her welcomes were as warm as that cup of tea she always invited you to have, whenever you entered her house.

She was a no nonsense woman, who spoke her mind, gave excellent advice when asked for it, and always had a shoulder available to cry on if needed.

She never complained about aging, going grey, the appearance of crows feet, the stiffness in her joints, losing the vision in one eye.

She lived her life with purpose and gusto, and set a superb example for those around her. She had the wisdom, beauty and contentment that can only come from years of opportunity and experience.

She was the type of woman I hope to become as I enter into the youth of my old age.

I will miss you Betty. Cheers!

Life

The fullness of life consists of light and shadow

and the movement between the two.

Love and Chocolate

It's Valentine'sDay! Hurray, the day to celebrate love and chocolate, my two favorite things.

We all know love is good for the heart, but have you heard? Chocolate is too! A number of recent medical studies indicate that dark chocolate contains antioxidants that can; decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol, reduce the risk of blood clots, increase blood flow in arteries, and may reduce high blood pressure.

Happy Heart Day! Hope yours is filled with love & chocolate!

The ABC's of Sleep.

My quest for sleep has turned up some interesting information, and somewhat delicious snack ideas for getting there. There is a plethora of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, hormones, molecules etc., that will promote healthy sleep! At this point, I will take any sleep, healthy or not!

Here's what I found:

Sleepy foods ;

1. Almonds; The melatonin and serotonin induce sleep and the magnesium relaxes muscles.

2. Bananas; A source of tryptophan and magnesium.

3. Chamomile (tea); A flavonoid component of Chamomile relieves anxiety and promotes sleep.

4. Honey ; A little glucose tells the brain to stop producing orexin, a neurotransmitter that keeps us alert.

5. Milk; Tryptophan.

6. Oatmeal; Rich in sleep inducing melatonin.

7. Peanut butter; Full of tryptophan.

8. Grape jelly; Lots of sleep regulating melatonin.

9. Whole-wheat bread; Helps the brain absorb tryptophan to convert to serotonin.

Notice how 7+8+9=PB&J sandwich! Just think of the combos available here! (1+2+5+6) (4+9)(3+4+5) (2+7+9) The possibilities are endless. Yummy!

So, enough said, I will eat my way to dreamland! Thing is, I may get to sleep, but it could be a bit more challenging getting out of bed in the morning with the extra 10 or 20 pounds I might gain along the way!

The Quest For Sleep.

I have developed a fear of going to bed at night. No matter what time I go, no matter what I do before I get there, I just can't sleep! I've tried all the common sense things; no daytime naps, limiting my caffine intake, avoiding hard to digest foods near bedtime, having a warm bath an hour before bedtime, eliminating any light in my room, wearing earplugs, keeping the room temperature cool, meditation, relaxation exercises, drinking warm milk...etc, etc. I still can't sleep.

I read *that insomnia may be connected with the drop in the brain chemical serotonin that occurs when estrogen levels decline, or can simply be do to the changes in hormones. Okay that's a given. *It’s usual for the frequency of insomnia to DOUBLE from what you used to experience when you were premenopausal. Great, I will have twice as many sleepless nights, and the sleeplessness will occur twice as long. *And studies have shown that women usually begin to experience restless sleep as much as five to seven years before menopause hits." Not liking the word "hits" here.

Okay, so I know, the who (perimenopausal women), the what (insomnia) the when (night) and the why (hormone changes). What I don't know is...the where (can I get some help for this?!).
I took this up with my doctor last visit and he said, "Oh yes, insomnia, it's your age, you know, MENOPAUSE. We can fix that up with HRT." Ummmm.... thanks but no thanks. "How about some sleeping pills then?" Ummmm...again, no thanks. "Antidepressents?" Oh gee...nevermind!

So, here begins my quest...for sleep and how to get there. I've always enjoyed doing research, and hey, it will give me something to do during my many sleepless hours!

Oh, that photo? That's my "warm milk" which has the amino acid tryptophan, which acts as a mild tranquilizer. I found the tranquilizing effect way too mild, plus warm milk tastes icky. A little chocolate syrup and a splash of cream liqueur makes icky turn to yummy. It still doesn't help me sleep, but at least staying awake is delicious!

*An alcoholic "nightcap" might hurt more than it will help. Alcohol might make you feel drowsy, but it can interfere with your ability to sleep soundly.

*(EarlyMenopause.com)